Maxine Dexter
Representative for Oregon · Democratic · United States
“While the threat posed by artificial intelligence has been growing for years, suddenly there is a growing consciousness that AI agents are already out of human control. How is this Republican-led Congress preparing to step up and take action to protect the safety and securing of the American people? They aren't.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today at a moment of a grave importance for our collective humanity. As we face competing challenges, from the climate crisis to the ever- looming threat of nuclear war, the American people expect their leaders to prioritize their safety and know when to take action. That time is now.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“That is why I fought to subpoena Oracle executives over a $27 billion VA contract yesterday. Corporate greed should never come before veterans and our taxpayers. We kept the government funded, but where are the votes to lower rent, grocery bills, healthcare costs, or gas prices?”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I care deeply about the people who I represent. Working families in Oregon are doing everything right, and still they are falling behind. Instead of making life more affordable, this administration has cost the average American household an additional $3,800 since last year. What are Republicans doing about it?”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“I saw three CT scanners, their only scanners in this hospital, all broken down, an MRI machine also not working, and a handful of working ultrasounds, because parts cannot be imported.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Families cannot go to the grocery store as they always have done and keep their groceries in a fridge or a freezer because they do not have reliable electricity. Meat, milk, and medicine spoil with the power outages that plague the nation. Basic services have broken down. Daily life is a constant struggle.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
The complete record
32 held · 17 searchable for Maxine Dexter. The searchable lines are below in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.
This is not an official version of US Congress proceedings. It reproduces the published record and links to it; the official version is the one US Congress publishes.
“While the threat posed by artificial intelligence has been growing for years, suddenly there is a growing consciousness that AI agents are already out of human control. How is this Republican-led Congress preparing to step up and take action to protect the safety and securing of the American people? They aren't. This is the moment for Congress to show up for the American people, to plan for the worst and then hope for the best. We must stay here in Washington and do our jobs. I challenge our Republican leadership to prioritize the survival of this country over going on vacation. ____________________”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today at a moment of a grave importance for our collective humanity. As we face competing challenges, from the climate crisis to the ever- looming threat of nuclear war, the American people expect their leaders to prioritize their safety and know when to take action. That time is now.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Speaker, I can assure you that I came to Congress to do just that. Stay loud. ____________________”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“That is why I fought to subpoena Oracle executives over a $27 billion VA contract yesterday. Corporate greed should never come before veterans and our taxpayers. We kept the government funded, but where are the votes to lower rent, grocery bills, healthcare costs, or gas prices? Republicans are focused on giving tax breaks to billionaires and lining their pockets, all while lying to the American people about what is going on. Mr. Speaker, I grew up as a working-class kid. I had the shot at the American Dream because the government chose to invest in families like mine. My opportunity should be there for every child across this country. The Federal Government should put the American people first and not billionaires and corporations. A better future is possible if we fight for it. Mr.”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I care deeply about the people who I represent. Working families in Oregon are doing everything right, and still they are falling behind. Instead of making life more affordable, this administration has cost the average American household an additional $3,800 since last year. What are Republicans doing about it? Not a single thing.”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“Congress cannot look to this administration to find that. From Havana to Portland, we will stand up, and that means ending this cruel blockade now. I will use every tool at my disposal to make this happen, and I am asking every one of my colleagues to join me. ____________________”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“I saw three CT scanners, their only scanners in this hospital, all broken down, an MRI machine also not working, and a handful of working ultrasounds, because parts cannot be imported. I sat face-to-face with these doctors and understood the deep pain that they are feeling, having the skills and the will to care for people but being denied the opportunity for political reasons. The difference is here in the U.S. we have never had the political will to ensure that every American has access to healthcare. As a physician, I do not know what it is like to care for every patient that comes in my door without worrying whether they can afford it. In Cuba, they have spent decades fulfilling their promise to make healthcare a human right. Every person has access to healthcare for free. Can you imagine? They made it a reality.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Families cannot go to the grocery store as they always have done and keep their groceries in a fridge or a freezer because they do not have reliable electricity. Meat, milk, and medicine spoil with the power outages that plague the nation. Basic services have broken down. Daily life is a constant struggle. Cuba's public health system and its medical training programs are the envy of much of the world. Their healthcare system is filled with highly qualified, well-trained physicians, and yet the hospital I toured in Havana was nearly empty. Physicians have no patients because they have no transportation, no buses to get there. They have tens of thousands of people waiting for surgeries because supplies are insufficient and only a fraction of their operating rooms are running.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, the American people need to know that their government is intentionally suffocating the nation of Cuba. There is no other way to describe what is happening. Earlier this month, I traveled to Cuba with a congressional delegation to see firsthand how U.S. policy is affecting this country that is just 90 miles off our shore. This is a country that is known for its joy and for its culture.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, due to an emergency department visit, I missed votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 238, H.R. 139; YEA on Roll Call No. 239, motion to recommit H.R. 1181; and NAY on Roll Call 240, H.R. 1181. ____________________”
House of Representatives14 July 2026Source ↗
“Make no mistake: That would have immediate impact for our communities, for every family living near a busy highway, every child using an inhaler, and every senior who can't go outside on a high pollution day. This is a direct attack on over 50 years of precedent that recognizes that EPA has the authority and the obligation to allow States to do what is required to protect their residents. I am, frankly, stunned that my Republican colleagues in the House want to undermine States' rights. Repealing these waivers is an illegal expansion of the use of CRAs, which the Government Accountability Office and the Senate Parliamentarian have conclusively determined cannot be used for this purpose. This is government overreach at its most reckless.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“More than 156 million people in this country live in counties with dangerous levels of ozone and particulate matter, and yet instead of empowering States to raise the bar on clean air, Republicans are telling them to stand down. Let me say this another way. Republicans are telling States they cannot take action to protect their people, their health, and their future. They want to prevent States that are at the forefront from using their authority to cut tailpipe pollution, a move that guts local authority in favor of polluters. We must let our communities lead. Repealing these waivers would undermine stronger vehicle emissions standards that reduce dangerous pollution and are essential to fighting the climate crisis.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to these resolutions that strip away a State's right to protect its residents from dangerous air pollution. As a pulmonologist, a lung doctor, I have spent my career caring for people struggling to breathe--patients with asthma, COPD, and lung cancer. However, I am also a mother, deeply concerned about the world we are leaving our children. I came to Congress after years of treating the consequences of inaction. I could no longer stand by while politicians ignored the root cause--the pollution poisoning the air we breathe. The truth is, Madam Speaker, our air is making us sick, and we have the power and responsibility to do something about it.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, what happened today is disgraceful. House Republicans have abandoned working Americans. They are taking housing and food from our seniors, children, and families. They have abandoned our veterans, the people who have bled for our country so that we can be free. They have given this administration and its illegitimate mercenaries free license to gut agencies and services. Mr.”
House of Representatives11 March 2025Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, as has been true all along, they have no interest in protecting America's middle class.”
House of Representatives25 February 2025Source ↗
“To line the pockets of the ultrawealthy, to pad the bottom line of corporations already raking in profits. I offered six commonsense amendments to this bill to safeguard critical programs for people like Susan and so many Oregonians like her. Republicans rejected every single one of my amendments.”
House of Representatives25 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves at a make-or-break moment in America. The people from East and North Portland, Sandy, Gresham, Estacada, and Hood River have spoken with a united voice.”
House of Representatives16 January 2025Source ↗